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form of a District Order to be issued, on mobilization by the Chief Staff Officer, under the action to be taken by him, which is dealt with in Chapter III of the Scheme. The instructions should also be, as they now are, repeated with regard to individual units in Chapter V.

The arrangement of Chapter III of the Aden Defence Scheme corresponds generally with that adopted in Colonial Schemes, but in the latter the instructions given under the headings of the various officers required to take action, are usefully supplemented by Tables giving the details of this action. Thus, under the action to be taken by the O.C.R.A., the Artillery Manning Tables are inserted. To the R.E. part are attached details of the working parties, tools, materials, and time required for the different engineering works. The distribution of medical stores and equipment to the various hospitals and dressing stations is inserted after the action to be taken by the Senior Medical Officer, and the lists of ordnance stores required for various purposes on mobilization follow the ordnance part of the Scheme and obviate the necessity for sending in requisitions when the Scheme is put into force.

The action by Marine Transport Officer which forms Part I of Chapter III of the Scheme, would come better in Chapter VI.

The arrangement of Chapters IV and V of the Aden Scheme appears quite satis- factory, except that Chapter IV contains references to other parts, which should be avoided if possible.

It would be convenient if a map of Aden, on a scale of 2 inches to a mile, were inserted in each copy of the Defence Scheme. It should show hydrographic details taken from the Admiralty chart, all names mentioned in the Scheme, the arcs of fire of all heavy and medium guns, a Table of the armament actually provided, the arcs of electric light beams if any, the boundaries of the various sections of defence if a sectional organization is adhered to, and the position of their head-quarters. Such maps are now bound up with Colonial Defence Schemes, it being considered that though the maps should be treated as absolutely secret, the Scheme, as a whole, should not be less so, and that a complete map makes a Scheme much more useful to the officer who requires to study it.

A Table of Contents might usefully be added in front of the Scheme, and the reference to the contents of the first Chapter omitted from its cover.

Chapter I.

3 Page 1.-The description of the fortress and of the various positions in it given on pages 1 and 2 might advantageously be preceded by a paragraph on its strategic situation somewhat in the following terms

The strategic situation of Aden is one of first-rate importance, affording, as it does, a coaling station for Her Majesty's Navy, and a harbour of refuge for mercantile shipping on the shortest route from England to India. This importance would be somewhat diminished if the passage of the Suez Canal was closed; but, even in that case, the defence of the port would be very necessary for the retention of our command of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Western portion of the Indian Ocean, and for the denial of the advantages which the occupation of the port would give to an enterprising enemy.

The nearest foreign port to Aden is the little French harbour of Djiboutil, on the opposite coast of Africa; Djiboutil is, at present, however, practically without garrison or defences, and though it is believed to have some small store of coal, yet it can hardly be reckoned as a strategic factor.

The nearest foreign naval coaling station is Diego Suarez, in Madagascar, 1,870 miles distant.

Her Majesty's Navy undertake the responsibility of meeting any hostile naval expedition which may be organized in force for the capture of a defended coaling station; the defences of Aden, there- fore, under existing conditions, and having regard to our occupation of Egypt, may be considered at present liable only to the sudden attack of at most four cruisers.

4 Page 3, paragraph 3 (e).-The bombardment of positions by high-angle fire from ships, is an operation so unlikely that reference to it under " Modes of Attack on Aden," may be omitted, as well as the "Method of Defence against it described on page 6.

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¿Page 5, (C), (î).-Patrol steam-launches are here referred to, and elsewhere in the Scheme (page 38, F, 2, and page 41, I, 3) there are allusions to patrolling the harbour by boats at night, and to signalling from them. In all Colonial Defence Schemes

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